USA: By plane
Don't be misled by movie scenes in which characters stroll into large airports and casually buy cross-country tickets. That kind of plane travel is outrageously expensive - $1000 for a one-way flight is not unheard of. However, with planning, air travel can work out reasonably cheap. Indeed, it can cost less than the train - especially if you take into account how much you save not paying for food and drink while on the move - and only a little more than the bus. Flying can also make sense for relatively short local hops, turning a full day's cross-desert $25 bus journey, for example, into a quick and scenic $50 flight of under an hour. We mention such options wherever appropriate.Most airlines offer comparable Apex fares, but any good travel agent , especially student and youth-oriented ones like Council Travel and STA, can usually get you a much better deal. Phone the airlines to find out routes and schedules, then buy your ticket using the Fare Assurance Program , which processes all the ticket options to find the cheapest fare, taking into account the requirements of individual travelers. One agent using the service is Travel Avenue (tel 1-800/333-3335, ). Few standby fares are available, and the best discounts are usually offered on tickets booked and paid for at least two weeks in advance. These are almost always nonrefundable and hard to change.
More about By plane:
Toll-free airline numbers in the US
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